Monday, March 25, 2013

Two Flew North

My bride and I flew up to Atlanta for dinner this weekend and our first food stop was right here in Tampa at First Flight - A Wine Bar By Mise en Place at Tampa International Airport. TIA has added a number of new food venues and First Flight was number one on our list.

At First Flight you will find bar seating as well as very comfortable table seating. We chose to plant our derrieres at a table. Steve, on the left in the photo, was our very knowledgeable and helpful server who guided our choices for food and wine.

Actually, for me it was a beer, and even though it was just a tad past eleven in the morning I should mention that beer isn't just for breakfast. My traveling companion, the Belle of Ballast Point, chose a glass of Pazo de Gallegos, a Spanish Albarino with peach and flower accents - a medium light, fun with food wine.

For my small plate I chose the Harissa poached shrimp cocktail with preserved lemon cocktail sauce. The shrimp were perfectly poached and paired beautifully with the preserved lemon sauce - tart and tangy, and orgasmically good.

My bride and I shared a charcuterie flight, The Full Flight, with Jamon Serrano, Duck Rillettes, Coppa, Salami, and Sopressata. This plate also included a cheese of the chef's choice. This plate was served with cornishons, olives, a sprightly grainy mustard, rhubarb chutney, and crostini.

This First Flight made the second flight to Atlanta most pleasant. We were both very impressed with the food, the wine, and the service. Our tab came to $52.95, and we tacked on a well deserved 20% for Steve.